Woody Plant Trail (DDSP)

Hiking

Dogs Yes

Mountain Biking

Fall Foliage

0.25&nbsp(miles)

&nbspVery Easy

Loop

Minimal&nbsp(Elev. Δ - ft)

Arkansas

Woody Plant Trail is a very easy hiking trail in Devil's Den State Park near Fort Smith Arkansas. This trail starts near the bathhouse in Camping Area E and weaves through a mixed hard and pine forest. A plant identification sheet is available at the Visitor Center to help you identify some the Ozark fauna. This family friendly hike is also dog friendly, but your furry kids must be on leash. Camping is available in the park.

History

Devil’s Den State Park has a rich and colorful history. From a geological perspective, the park protects the largest sandstone crevice area in the United States and is littered with sandstone caves, ravines and rugged bluffs. The rugged terrain was used by local Confederate guerrillas to hide leading up to and during the Civil War after raids on Union Army supply lines. From the Butterfield Hiking Trail the remnants of the town of Anna can be seen. It was destroyed by a flood in 1893. Today, all that remains of the town is a cemetery and some old foundation. During the Great Depression the Lee Creek Valley was chosen as a great site for a state park. FDR’s New Deal brought in the Civilian Conservation Corps and construction began in 1933. Today, Devil’s Den State Park is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the best preserved CCC projects sites in the United States.